Latest news with #Jaxa
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
What does lightning look like from space? See stunning photos from NASA astronauts on ISS
It's safe to say that most of us have seen lightning here on Earth plenty of times – some of us have even been struck by it. But the natural phenomenon is one all but a few select individuals will ever have the chance to see from the vantage of 250 miles in orbit. Fortunately, a few astronauts over the years have been more than willing to generously share a glimpse of crashing lightning as seen from outer space. And you better believe it looks nothing like what we're used to seeing from the ground. The latest images of sky-splitting lightning came courtesy of two NASA astronauts who reached the International Space Station together in March after launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral, Florida. In May, Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain posted photos on social media site X of lightning roiling far, far beneath them. "This is what lightning looks like from the top down," McClain said in a post shared May 21. Here's a closer look at just what they managed to capture from above Earth's atmosphere. The images McClain and Ayers shared show electrostatic discharges – in other words, lightning – from above the clouds as they orbited in the International Space Station. In Ayers' post on X, she said she first observed lightning May 1 while suited up for a spacewalk outside the orbital outpost. She then managed to capture a few photos the next day, which she shared May 5. "I am so amazed by the view we have up here of our Earth's weather systems," Ayers posted. While it was unclear what part of Earth the lightning was striking in Ayers' photos, McClain said her images were captured over Alabama and Georgia. "Fast and furious, but also an incredible sight!" McClain said. The photos not only reveal the chaotic beauty of lightning, but could provide valuable orbital data to scientists studying the phenomenon back on Earth. The photos were captured at speeds of 120 frames per second, with the depicted flashes only taking up one frame. The technique was pioneered by veteran NASA astronaut Don Pettit, who is renowned for his astral photography. Pettit, who had arrived in September 2024 for his third and most recent space station stint, departed April 19, 2025, with two cosmonauts before safely landing in Kazakhstan on his 70th birthday. Ayers and McClain, who also recently made headlines for completing a rare all-female spacewalk, are among seven people living at the International Space Station. The crew of Expedition 73 includes three Americans, three Russian cosmonauts and one Japanese spacefarer from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa.) McClain and Ayers are both part of a SpaceX mission known as Crew-10 that reached the space station in March 2025. Their arrival with JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov paved the way for the NASA astronauts who crewed the doomed Boeing Starliner to depart with the Crew-9 mission. Also at the station is NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, who reached the outpost in April 2025 with cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Images: Lightning in space from NASA astronauts on ISS
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
What does lightning look like from space? Astronauts on space station share stunning photos
It's safe to say that most of us have seen lightning here on Earth plenty of times – some of us have even been struck by it. But the natural phenomenon is one all but a few select individuals will ever have the chance to see from the vantage of 250 miles in orbit. Fortunately, a few astronauts over the years have been more than willing to generously share a glimpse of crashing lightning as seen from outer space. And you better believe it looks nothing like what we're used to seeing from the ground. The latest images of sky-splitting lightning came courtesy of two NASA astronauts residing aboard the International Space Station. In May, Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain posted photos on social media site X of lightning roiling far, far beneath them. "This is what lightning looks like from the top down," McClain said in a post shared May 21. Here's a closer look at just what they managed to capture from above Earth's atmosphere. The images McClain and Ayers shared show electrostatic discharges – in other words, lightning – from above the clouds as they orbited in the International Space Station. In Ayers' post on X, she said she first observed lightning May 1 while suited up for a spacewalk outside the orbital outpost. She then managed to capture a few photos the next day, which she shared May 5. "I am so amazed by the view we have up here of our Earth's weather systems," Ayers posted. While it was unclear what part of Earth the lightning was striking in Ayers' photos, McClain said her images were captured over Alabama and Georgia. "Fast and furious, but also an incredible sight!" McClain said. The photos not only reveal the chaotic beauty of lightning, but could provide valuable orbital data to scientists studying the phenomenon back on Earth. Here's a look at some of the astronauts' photos: The photos were captured at speeds of 120 frames per second, with the depicted flashes only taking up one frame. The technique was pioneered by veteran NASA astronaut Don Pettit, who is renowned for his astral photography. Pettit, who had arrived in September 2024 for his third and most recent space station stint, departed April 19, 2025, with two cosmonauts before safely landing in Kazakhstan on his 70th birthday. Ayers and McClain, who also recently made headlines for completing a rare all-female spacewalk, are among seven people living at the International Space Station. The crew of Expedition 73 includes three Americans, three Russian cosmonauts and one Japanese spacefarer from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa.) McClain and Ayers are both part of a SpaceX mission known as Crew-10 that reached the space station in March 2025. Their arrival with JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov paved the way for the NASA astronauts who crewed the doomed Boeing Starliner to depart with the Crew-9 mission. Also at the station is NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, who reached the outpost in April 2025 with cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Astronauts on space station glimpse lightning from space: See photos
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
What does lightning look like from space? See stunning photos from astronauts on ISS
It's safe to say that most of us have seen lightning here on Earth plenty of times – some of us have even been struck by it. But the natural phenomenon is one all but a few select individuals will ever have the chance to see from the vantage of 250 miles in orbit. Fortunately, a few astronauts over the years have been more than willing to generously share a glimpse of crashing lightning as seen from outer space. And you better believe it looks nothing like what we're used to seeing from the ground. The latest images of sky-splitting lightning came courtesy of two NASA astronauts who reached the International Space Station together in March after launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral, Florida. In May, Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain posted photos on social media site X of lightning roiling far, far beneath them. "This is what lightning looks like from the top down," McClain said in a post shared May 21. Here's a closer look at just what they managed to capture from above Earth's atmosphere. The images McClain and Ayers shared show electrostatic discharges – in other words, lightning – from above the clouds as they orbited in the International Space Station. In Ayers' post on X, she said she first observed lightning May 1 while suited up for a spacewalk outside the orbital outpost. She then managed to capture a few photos the next day, which she shared May 5. "I am so amazed by the view we have up here of our Earth's weather systems," Ayers posted. While it was unclear what part of Earth the lightning was striking in Ayers' photos, McClain said her images were captured over Alabama and Georgia. "Fast and furious, but also an incredible sight!" McClain said. The photos not only reveal the chaotic beauty of lightning, but could provide valuable orbital data to scientists studying the phenomenon back on Earth. Here's a look at some of the astronauts' photos: The photos were captured at speeds of 120 frames per second, with the depicted flashes only taking up one frame. The technique was pioneered by veteran NASA astronaut Don Pettit, who is renowned for his astral photography. Pettit, who had arrived in September 2024 for his third and most recent space station stint, departed April 19, 2025, with two cosmonauts before safely landing in Kazakhstan on his 70th birthday. Ayers and McClain, who also recently made headlines for completing a rare all-female spacewalk, are among seven people living at the International Space Station. The crew of Expedition 73 includes three Americans, three Russian cosmonauts and one Japanese spacefarer from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa.) McClain and Ayers are both part of a SpaceX mission known as Crew-10 that reached the space station in March 2025. Their arrival with JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov paved the way for the NASA astronauts who crewed the doomed Boeing Starliner to depart with the Crew-9 mission. Also at the station is NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, who reached the outpost in April 2025 with cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Lightning from space: Astronauts post stunning weather images on X
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
New launch date gives time to finalise plans, says Nasa; Shukla, crew quarantine likely from May 24-25
Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla BENGALURU: With the new date for the launch of Axiom-4 mission (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS) being pushed by more than a week to June 8 from the original May 29, Nasa has said the revised schedule gives more time to finalise plans. Ax-4 with four crew members — Commander Peggy Whitson of the US, India's Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as pilot, and mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary — will see astronauts of India, Poland and Hungary go to the ISS for the first time. 'After reviewing the ISS flight schedule, Nasa and its partners are shifting launch opportunities for several upcoming missions. The schedule adjustments provide more time to finalise mission plans, spacecraft readiness, and logistics. The Ax-4 crew is scheduled to launch on June 8 at 9.11am Eastern Time from Florida,' Nasa Space Operations said. The private crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Nasa's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Armstrong launched from complex Incidentally, the KSC Launch Complex 39A, built in the 1960s to accommodate the Saturn V launch vehicle, has been used to support several Nasa crewed spaceflight missions, including the historic Apollo 11 moon landing and the Space Shuttle. The Apollo 11 mission put the first man — Neil Armstrong — on the lunar surface. 'The private [Ax-4] astronauts will work alongside the Expedition 73 crew aboard the orbiting laboratory for a short time, conducting mission-related science, outreach, and commercial activities,' Nasa said. Sharing details about revised schedules for other missions, Nasa said as part of Crew-11, now being targeted for late July, Nasa astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Jaxa (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos (Russian space agency) cosmonaut Oleg Platonov will launch to the space station aboard a Dragon and Falcon 9 from the same launch complex. Quarantine from May 24-25 TOI, which had reported last week about a likely delay in Ax-4, had reported about the new date — 6.41pm (IST) or 9.11am Eastern Time, on June 8 — announced late Wednesday. According to sources involved in the Ax-4 mission, Shukla and the other crew members are expected to begin their mandatory pre-launch quarantine — to minimise the risk of illness on board spacecraft and to ensure the crew's optimal health and physical condition — either on May 24 or 25. The crew has already undergone a rigorous training regime that involved training at multiple facilities belonging to Axiom Space, Nasa, European Space Agency and SpaceX. While Shukla is the designated pilot for the mission, India had sent two of its Gaganyaan astronaut-designates to Axiom. Group Captain Prashant Nair, who also trained with Shukla, is the latter's backup on the mission. India is spending around Rs 548 crore on the mission. Other than launch, the cost also includes training of both Shukla and Prashanth, among other components.
USA Today
12-03-2025
- Science
- USA Today
SpaceX launch today: How to watch next step in bringing Starliner astronauts home from ISS
SpaceX launch today: How to watch next step in bringing Starliner astronauts home from ISS NASA will provide live coverage of the Wednesday night launch of the SpaceX Crew-10 mission, followed by the crew's arrival Thursday morning in orbit. Show Caption Hide Caption NASA astronaut hands over ISS command to Russian cosmonaut Ahead of NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 departure from the ISS, command of the station was handed over to Russian cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin. The crew of the infamous Boeing Starliner should be able to return to Earth in a matter of days with the imminent arrival of a replacement mission at the International Space Station. Four spacefarers who are part of a SpaceX mission known as Crew-10 are due to launch into orbit Wednesday night from Florida. The crew's scheduled arrival Thursday morning at the space station would then set the stage for their predecessors on the Crew-9 mission to depart. The Crew-9 mission now includes Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore – the two NASA astronauts who in June flew to the orbital outpost for the doomed maiden crewed voyage of the Starliner spacecraft. That flight test came to an ignominious end when NASA decided the troubled Boeing vehicle wasn't safe enough to take its crew back. Instead, Wilmore and Williams have unexpectedly remained in orbit for nine months, where they have been folded into Expedition 72 to help with space station maintenance and science experiments. Here's how to watch the launch of the Crew-10 mission, which will play a pivotal role in paving the way for the Starliner astronauts to come home. What is the Crew-10 mission? Starliner astronauts to return after SpaceX Crew-10 team reaches ISS Meet the astronauts of Crew-10 The Crew-10 mission, which, as the name suggests, is SpaceX's tenth science rotation mission to the International Space Station, includes four spacefarers who will live and work at the outpost for about six months: NASA astronaut Anne McClain , of Spokane, Washington, mission commander; , of Spokane, Washington, mission commander; NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers , of Colorado, mission pilot; , of Colorado, mission pilot; Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa), a mission specialist; of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa), a mission specialist; Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, a mission specialist. What time is the Crew-10 mission launch from Florida? Liftoff is scheduled for 7:48 p.m. EST Wednesday, March 12, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The astronauts will be aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule launching atop a Falcon 9 rocket, which will propel the spacecraft into orbit before separating. NASA to provide livestream of liftoff: How to watch NASA will provide live coverage of the Crew-10 launch. The broadcast is set to begin at 3:45 p.m. EST on the space agency's streaming service, NASA+. How to watch Crew-10 reach International Space Station NASA's live coverage will then resume here after 4 a.m. Thursday on NASA+ before the Dragon reaches and docks at the space station's Harmony module, a port and passageway onto the ISS. Docking is estimated to take place around 6 a.m., followed by a hatch opening at 7:45 a.m. A welcome ceremony is scheduled for late that night, around 8:20 p.m., according to NASA. SpaceX mission to pave way for Starliner astronauts to return Williams and Wilmore could return with Crew-9 as early as Sunday, March 16. That mission, which reached the station in late September, included just two crew members – NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov – in order to leave two extra seats on its Dragon capsule for the Starliner crew. The tentative return date would allow for a few days for Crew-10 to orient themselves at the space station. The handover period is a crucial process for the outgoing astronauts to help the arriving spacefarers familiarize themselves with their new home and the work taking place, according to NASA. Once Crew-9 undocks on the Dragon, they would make a splashdown landing off the Florida coast. Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@
